TEXARKANA — A Miller County circuit judge has placed a man and woman in jail for contempt of court, stating they did not properly distribute their aunt’s estate.
Douglas Reese and Angela Cummings, co-administrators for the estate of Arlene Lingo, were found in contempt Nov. 8 for “violation of court orders and violation of fiduciary duties to the estate.”
Judge Brent Haltom ordered Reese, 77, of Nashville and Cummings, 62, of Little Rock to be placed in the Miller County jail.
“To purge this contempt, the sum of $102,675.02 must be paid to the Miller County Clerk’s Office for the court to distribute to Mary Lunsford. Douglas Reese and Angela Cummings can be released upon proof of this payment,” Haltom’s order states.
Lunsford, 87, of Texarkana, is Lingo’s sister.
Lingo, who was 92 years old, died Nov. 5, 2009. Court documents show Lingo’s husband, Troy Lingo, 94, received 50 percent of the estate. The remaining $308,025.06 was to be divided three ways among Reese, Cummings and Lunsford.
Reese and Cummings were named co-administrators Dec. 18, 2009, and were assigned to give Lunsford her share of the inheritance.
A motion filed Oct. 17 by one of Lunsford’s attorneys, John K. Ross IV, contends Lunsford’s share of the inheritance is less than $25,000.
“The only communication from the co-administrators since the Aug. 16, 2012, hearing ... purports to account for less than $25,000 in estate funds. Mary Lunsford sought additional clarification on the accounting through her counsel to the co-administrators, but no further information has been received,” according to the motion Ross prepared.
“This is a cautionary tale. If you accept the responsibility of an estate, it should be carried out appropriately,” said attorney Lisa Shoalmire, who also represents Lunsford. “It appears Cummings and Reese apparently failed to fulfill their obligation.”
Reese and Cummings filed a motion Nov. 19 in the case but asked for it to remain sealed in the county clerk’s office.
“The co-administrators have taken the Fifth Amendment to not incriminate themselves and asked for sealed responses to why they’ve not complied with the probate court orders,” Shoalmire said.
It is unclear who, if anyone, will represent Reese and Cummings, since their motion is sealed.
Reese is a former president of the Nashville Rural Water Association in Howard County, according to Nashville News.
Haltom was unavailable for comment about the contempt order and whether a criminal investigation may be opened.
Arkansas, Pages 13 on 11/24/2012